This is How You Remind Me
by Coneflower Adams
Summary: Felix is the hero of his game, but when Calhoun's life is endanger from a vengeful foe, can he live up to his hero status and save the woman he loves?
1. Chapter 1

_Writer's note: So, the only reason I'm writing this is because I wanted to have Calhoun tied up and her and Felix being tortured. I'm sorry! What is wrong with me? Um…enjoy!_

* * *

><p>The throbbing in her head pounded like a heartbeat in stereo. Calhoun groaned, trying to comprehend why it felt like a cybug had bashed her in the brains, when she realized she was not in her own bed lying beside her husband.<p>

She attempted to move her limps, but her arms were pulled behind her. Sharp, thin ropes cut into her wrists. Struggling to test the tightness only caused the rope to slice into her skin. Calhoun growled, gritting her teeth at the pain. Her ankles were also bound, and a hardy knot connected her feet and hands making it impossible to even try to sit upright.

Calhoun raised her aching head as best she could to take in her surroundings. It was a square room. The floor was made of concrete with a few pipes running in and out of the walls. A dim light hung on a chain from the ceiling.

The throbbing was beginning to dull now that she was moving her head, and the question of who would kidnap her ran across her mind. She had no enemies outside her game and only cybugs to deal with inside of it. Her husband, one of the nicest guys in the entire arcade, had no foes. Calhoun pushed the wonderings aside for now. Not knowing who or why she was tied up in a closed room made escaping even more important. It would be a challenge, but Calhoun was already mapping out ways she might be able to free herself.

"Hello?" a trembling voice echoed through a vent from somewhere behind her. "Anybody there?"

Calhoun sucked in a startled breath. She knew that voice. It should have been a relief to hear it, but instead, hearing it rocked her to the core. "Felix?" she gurgled out then cleared her throat and called to him again. "Felix, is that you?"

"Tammy!" the sheer relief that emitted from him stabbed her heart. "I'm trapped in a room! Where are you?"

"Same as you, soldier." She wiggled a little but it was no use.

"Oh my land," he gasped. She could hear him shuffling around. "Tammy, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

Calhoun snorted. Technically, she wasn't hurt, but the damn ropes binding her skin sure hurt like hell. "No," she settled, "but I'm tied up. Are you?"

Felix started breathing in short, worried gasps. "I'm not tied up. Oh Tammy, who would do this to us?"

"I don't know, but you need to remain calm, short stack," her voice was steady and even, hoping it would keep Felix on ground level. "If you're not tied up then maybe you can find a way out."

"I-I…" Felix stuttered, and she could tell he was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Fix-it!" she yelled. The manic shuffling behind the wall halted. "You need to pull it together and find a way out." Calhoun paused, struggling in vain one more time against her bonds. "I need you, Felix."

The shuffling began again, but this time there seemed to be purpose behind it. She heard a doorknob jiggle then Felix remarked, "It was a worth a shot."

"I'm guessing you don't have your hammer?"

"No, ma'am," came a miserable reply. "There's no one from here to Timbuktu that I can think of who would want to do something like this to us." A few knocks banged on the wall connecting hers and Felix's rooms. "The drywall is very thin. I wonder if I could break it and at least get to you."

"Do what you need to do, soldier."

A kick rattled the wall and a piece of drywall fell to the floor. Calhoun assumed Felix was fully dressed as she could hear him kicking the wall with force other than his foot. The last memory she had was of going to bed that night and looking forward to their Sunday off. This was not what she had in mind for their day's break.

The wall in her room suddenly busted. Calhoun listened as the hole grew bigger and in a matter of moments Felix was at her side. "Tammy!" He knelt in front of her, placing a hand to her cheek and pushing back her bangs. He glanced over her, and his face paled considerably at the red marks on her wrists and ankles. "My lands, you are hurt!"

Calhoun scowled. "I'm fine. Just untie me."

Felix was about to heed the command when the door creaked opened. Felix's head shot up, gasping in horror. Calhoun tried to see, but her position made it impossible.

"The damsel saving his hero in distress, how quiant," the voice mocked.

Calhoun didn't recognize the voice, but she didn't have to when Felix uttered, "Turbo?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Writer's note: This part gets violent!_

* * *

><p>Felix woke with a smile on his face and a bounce in his step. The most beautiful woman in the arcade lay in his bed. Their Sunday off had just started. Felix had planned to make breakfast in bed for his wife after he had fetched the newspaper from the mail slots in the lobby of the apartment building.<p>

He never made it back to their apartment.

When he opened his eyes, Felix was shocked to find he was in a square room with no windows and only a dim overhead light. He wracked his brain for his last memory, finding he remembered pressing the button to the elevator but after that was a total blank.

He tentatively called out, hoping that someone would hear him. Someone did: his beautiful, fearless wife. And it flooded his being with such overwhelming relief…until Tamora informed him that she was also a prisoner.

Panic began to set in and Tamora had to talk him down. His nerves were on edge and being brave seemed a million miles away, but Tamora – his Tammy Jean – said she needed him and those words lit a fire in him. She was well adept to rescuing others, but now she needed rescuing and that fact brought Felix to the point of knocking a hole into the wall just to get to her.

Destroying the wall went completely against his code, but to heck with code! Tammy needed him!

When he slipped through the narrow hole he's kicked through the wall, Felix was shocked to find his wife lying on the cold, hard concrete with hands and legs tied behind her. Her wrists and ankles were cut and bloody (Hero's Duty being one of the few games in the arcade where the characters actually bled red). He'd never seen such a distressing sight, and his heart sunk to his stomach as he rushed to her side.

There was no time to untie Tamora before the answer to who had done this to them was finally answered.

"Turbo?" Felix gasped, horrified at the person blocking the doorway; the person that was supposed to be dead. He looked more like his old self again, though traces of his alternate personality, King Candy, could be seen. "But how?"

Turbo snickered, an evilly delighted sound. "As spectacular as my plan was to be King Candy, I knew I'd need a back-up plan just in case anything ever happened to me." He took a dangerous step closer, somehow seeming to loom over them even with his short stature. "I programmed a regeneration code into my code in Sugar Rush. It took several months, but I pieced myself back together."

Felix stood stunned and alarmed that something could even be done, but Tamora wasn't having it. "C'mon Fix-it, take the lunatic down!"

Her command knocked him out of his stupor, and Felix felt the anger boiling up inside him and the need to protect his wife taking over. He advanced, fist clenched at his sides and ready to fight dirty for once. Turbo only giggled deviously and snapped his fingers.

Felix stopped short as two towering soldiers - dressed in civvies - he recognized from Hero's Duty lumbered through the doorway one behind the other.

Turbo smirked, steepling his fingers in front of him. "You really thought I was stupid enough to not bring manpower to take down G.I. Jane?"

"But you're in Tamora's squad-" Felix addressed the men, bewildered. All her men were loyal, or so it seemed.

"Fisher! Wachter! What the hell are you doing working for this psychopath?" Tamora yelled, arching her body to catch a glance at which of her men had betrayed her.

"We want more than shooting bugs every single day," Wachter notified.

"And you think this nut job can give it to you?!"

Fisher felt the need to add, "Sarge, you can be a real-"

"Enough!" Turbo interjected. Snapping his fingers again, both soldiers moved towards the prisoners. Felix, though trembling, stood his ground in front of his wife. Wachter's large hand grabbed the back of his collar, hoisting Felix into the air. He struggled and kicked, but it was useless. Fisher moved towards his wife, clasping her forearms and yanking Tamora to her knees.

"Turbo, what do you want with us?" Felix asked.

Turbo snapped again and Wachter clamped hands around Felix's forearms, kneeling so that Felix was on Turbo's level. "Before I explain anything – and believe me I can't wait for that part – let's play 'what game are we in?'."

A brick from the dump was pulled out of somewhere on Turbo. His yellow teeth glowed as he raised the brick and slammed it into Felix's head.

When she saw the brick, Calhoun had a sinking feeling of dread for what Turbo had in mind for it. She screamed in horror as Turbo brought the brick down on Felix's head, feeling the most helpless she'd ever been in her whole existence. The telltale demise music played as Felix's body went through its death spill. A moment later he was regenerating, shock covering his face as he came back to life.

"Good thing we're in your game, Fix-it," Turbo commented casually. He tossed the brick aside, pivoting to face Tamora. "Now, down to business."

"I'm going to destroy you, you sick bastard," Tamora snarled, shaking her shoulders to get away from Fisher. The soldier squeezed her arms to still her again.

Turbo giggled, pointing a finger at her. "Sure you will, my dear."

"Please, Turbo," Felix pleaded. "Why are you doing this to us?"

"You two are unfortunately puzzle pieces in my plan for revenge on the glitch and her oversized warthog."

Turbo raked his eyes up and down Calhoun's constrained form. Wickedness dripped from him as his lip curled into an evil smile. He flicked the smile over his shoulder at Felix before rearing a gloved fist back and slamming it into Tamora's cheekbone. For such a small being, he packed quite a wallop.

"NO!" Felix screamed, horrified by what he was witnessing.

Turbo pulled a short cane from his red belt and swung the gold tip into Calhoun's abdomen. She doubled over, hissing and gritted her teeth. Before she could recover, Turbo struck her fiercely on the side. Calhoun's yelp echoed off the bare room's walls.

"Turbo, please stop!" Felix pleaded as his eyes welled up with unshed tears, feeling like the most helpless creature in existence. His wife was being beaten, tortured, and bloodied and all he could do was watch. If she died in his game, he'd never forgive himself. "Don't hurt her, please!"

"I'm okay, Felix," Tamora huffed out through labored breaths. Sergeant Tamora Calhoun, always the brave soldier.

"Tammy," Felix cried miserably, tears streaking his cheeks. He desperately wished he could take every blow Turbo executed.

Turbo grabbed Tamora's chin between his fingers, stroking his thumb roughly against her skin. "How did you score such a gorgeous piece of modern technology, Fix-it?" Tamora jerked her chin from his grasp defiantly. Turbo rewarded her with an icy glare. He turned his back to her, a contemplative expression on his face then whirled around slamming the cane into her already bruised side.

Felix stomach wrenched severely as Tamora tried to suppress a groan. "What do you want, Turbo? I'll do anything, just please stop hurting my wife!"

"Well, I'm so happy you offered your services, Fix-it." Turbo strutted up to Felix, pinching his nose and slapping him on the cheek playfully. His tone was anything but playful. "I knew I could count on you." He pivoted away, pacing back and forth with one hand behind his back, the cane clutched in it. "Ralph and the little abomination trust you. You need to bring them here to me."

"And if he doesn't?" Calhoun asked, already assuming where this was going.

Turbo flicked a knowing smile at her over his shoulder then pushed his face only inches from touching Felix's nose. "I will kill your lovely wife." His yellow teeth gleamed as Felix's face drained of all color.

"Don't do it, Felix!" Tamora yelled. "He's going to kill me-" She was cut off by a backhanded slap to the face, blood trickling from her nose, a few drops staining her white tank top.

"I'll do it," Felix resigned, head bowed. His sad eyes rose to meet Turbo's sickeningly delighted gaze. "Please don't hit her again."

"Very well." Turbo snapped his fingers and Wachter released Felix, dropping him roughly to the concrete. "No funny business, Fix-it. I have eyes on you, so if you try to alert anyone about this, your soldier wife is as good as gone." Turbo swiped out the way. "Go say your goodbyes."

Felix scudded past Turbo, falling on his knees beside his wife, ignoring the sting of the impact through his jeans. He tore a piece of his t-shirt off at the hem and dabbed the blood seeping from her nose. "Tammy, I don't know what to do," he whispered, cradling her shining cheek gently. "I'm the hero, and I don't know what to do. I don't want to leave you here with him."

"Time is ticking," Turbo announced.

Tamora glared daggers at him over Felix's shoulder then returned her gaze to Felix's worried eyes. "Listen, Fix-it. I'll be okay. Focus on your mission. I know you'll come through. Got it, soldier?"

Felix nodded. "I love you, Tammy." He placed a loving kiss to her lips, not caring if there were traces of dried blood there.

"Love you, short stake," Tamora murmured against his lips.

Turbo blocked his path as Felix took that dreaded step to leave. He shoved a pile of clothes into Felix's chest. "Go clean yourself up."

It took every pixel of strength in his little 8-bit body to walk out the room, leaving the woman he loved with a regenerated psychopath and his two henchmen. He immediately started racking his brain for ways to beat Turbo, knowing if he didn't figure out a plan soon, it'd be game over for both of them.


	3. Chapter 3

"Pull!"

A giant peppermint flew into the air and exploded, sending tiny shards of red and white everywhere to litter the fudge ground. Vanellope whooped, jutting a triumphant fist towards the sky. "I'm gettin' good, huh Ralphie!"

Ralph rolled his eyes. Ever since Calhoun had given the little dark haired racer a small laser gun, Vanellope had practically dragged Ralph from Game Central Station every evening after closing time to practice shooting with it. She was determined to get as good as the space marine sergeant, and Ralph had to admit, his little friend was a pretty good aim. Of course, he wasn't sure he should let her know that. Knowing Vanellope, she'd probably waltz into Hero's Duty and take on every cybug singlehandedly.

Ralph shrugged a large shoulder. "Ah, you're doing okay."

"Are you crazy?!" Vanellope yelped, glitching to stand on Ralph's shoulder. "I'm awesome! Pretty soon I'll be able to earn a medal in Hero's Duty." As usual, she couldn't help but snicker.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Ralph replied, grabbing her by the back of her hoodie and placing her on the ground.

Vanellope beamed up at him as if her mischievous habits were a good thing. She gasped as her eyes caught sight of a familiar blue-collared figure, and she glitched to Felix, throwing her arms around his neck. "Hey, handyman! Where's Sarge?"

Felix froze for a moment then embraced Vanellope, hugging her as if she was the most precious thing in existence. Vanellope pulled away, feeling something was wrong.

"Hey, buddy," Ralph greeted, and immediately he noticed Felix's odd demeanor as well. "You okay?"

Felix cleared his throat, a strained smile spreading his face. "I'm fine," he replied, a tremor in his voice. Ralph and Vanellope didn't look convinced. "Really, I am!"

"Where's your better half?" Ralph asked.

"Uh-" Felix gazed at the chocolate ground, a gloved hand rubbing the back of his neck. "She's at home. Wasn't feeling well."

Vanellope smiled, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "We should bring her some hot cocoa! That always makes me feel better!"

"No!" Vanellope bulked and Ralph cocked his head at Felix's unusual outburst. Felix's eyes widened, realizing he wasn't playing this convincing at all. "I mean, it would be great if you two came to see Tamora." His words sounded pained and even his face grimaced. "She'd like that."

Ralph stared at Felix, the handyman's shoulders slumped and usually cheerful face contorted with…could it be fear? "Let's go make that hot cocoa real quick at the castle." Felix looked like he was about to burst into tears, but his eyes stayed dry as he followed his friends into the overwhelmingly pink castle.

* * *

><p>Once the doors were shut, Ralph halted letting Vanellope jump off his shoulder before he turned to his old gamemate. "Okay, Felix. Spill."<p>

Felix gazed at him with wide, fearful eyes. "What do you mean, Ralph?"

Ralph placed his gigantic fists on his sides. "There's something wrong, and you're going to tell us."

Vanellope glanced from the larger than life wrecker to the pintsized handyman, confused, but kept quiet. She knew when something serious was going on between the adults that it was better to let them handle it and stay out of the way.

"I can't," Felix's voice cracked as a tear finally escaped down his cheek. "You two really need to come with me or-"

"Or what?" Vanellope asked, her usually hyperactive vocals toned down to a murmur.

With a guttural growl that was very uncharacteristic of the friendly handyman, Felix spun around on his heel, yanking his hat off to twist anxiously in his hands. He began pacing. "Tammy is in danger!"

"What?!" Ralph exclaimed. "What kind of danger?" Technically, the Sergeant was in danger every day in her game, but she'd regenerate if anything happened to her.

Felix slapped the hat back on his head, and halted his frantic pacing. "Turbo is back."

Shocked expressions covered Ralph and Vanellope's features. The little girl scooted closer to Ralph's side. "Turbo?" Ralph asked. "But how?"

"Somehow he had a back-up code for him to regenerate if anything ever happened to him in Sugar Rush. It regenerated him and now he has Tammy hostage in the basement of the Niceland apartments." Felix heaved a sigh, his voice pained. "He wants…he wants me to bring you two to him or he'll kill Tammy." He glanced up at Ralph, a fresh batch of tears welling up in his eyes. "I can't do that to you two, but my wife…" Felix rubbed the tears from his cheeks. "I just want all of you to be safe."

Ralph placed a comforting hand on Felix's back. "Don't worry, buddy. We'll save Sarge somehow."

"I'm so sorry, Ralph."

"It's okay." He patted his friend's back. "And it'll be okay. We'll figure out a way." Ralph glanced down at Vanellope, only to find her pacing back and forth in deep thought. "Kid?"

Vanellope looked at him, her brow set. Ralph hadn't seen her features that determined since she spun out at her very first race. "I know how to stop Turbo."

"You what?" Felix and Ralph exclaimed simultaneously. "But how?" Felix asked, desperately.

Vanellope curled her small hands into fist and stalked off towards the throne room. "Follow me, boys."


	4. Chapter 4

As if the burning cuts on her limbs and the affliction from the beating wasn't enough, Calhoun's shoulders felt like knives were stabbing straight into her joints. She knelt uncomfortably on her knees, the concrete digging through the thin fabric of her sweatpants. Turbo, the sick little miscreant, was pacing outside the room, twirling his cane idly. Fisher stood looming over her, arms folded across his broad chest.

She thought of Felix and how he was faring. Her poor, sweet husband was tougher than he seemed, but holding it together in such fragile situations was not his strong point. But, she trusted him with her life. Felix loved her deeper than the most embedded code. He'd find a way.

Calhoun wasn't one to sit idle and wait to be rescued like some frilly damsel. She was a soldier, first and foremost, and the wheels in her mind never stopped rolling out strategy. The stabbing in her shoulders may work in her favor. She growled as she tried to shift.

"Fisher-"

The former Hero's Duty soldier lowered his gaze to her. "What, Sarge?"

"At least cut the rope holding my wrists and ankles together. My knees and shoulders are roaring."

Fisher snorted. "You think I'm stupid?"

Calhoun rolled her eyes. "Look, Fisher. I'm not going anywhere. The ropes around my wrists and ankles are so damn tight they're making me bleed." She stared straight into his eyes, contorting her face to hopefully appear softer than the usual iron glare. She may have been a tough as nails marine sergeant, but she was also a woman.

Fisher stared her down for a long moment then breathed a heavy sigh through his nose. "Don't try anything, Sarge." He leaned over, slicing the rope connecting her wrists and ankles with the knife from his belt.

Calhoun slowly rolled off her knees to her rear, scooting back until she touched the wall. With shoulders relaxed (as best as she could) against the wall, she leaned her head back, breathing in relief through her parted lips. It was still incredibly uncomfortable, but the stabbing in her shoulders was easing somewhat.

Turbo stepped into view and pivoted sharply into the room. "Your little pipsqueak husband is taking his dear time."

"Look who's talking, shorty," Calhoun remarked, earning a glare from Turbo. The racer was about to step out the room again when she added, "So, what's your plans, Turbo-jerk? Kill all of us then take over the arcade?"

Turbo turned, twirling his cane between his fingers. "Who said I was going to kill all four of you?" He took a step closer, an evil yellow grin spreading his face. "I could use you, Soldier girl. With you and your troops behind me, I could take over the entire arcade."

"Like fun I'd ever help you," Calhoun snarled.

Turbo drew even closer, nabbing her chin and digging his blocky fingertips into her cheeks. Under her disheveled bangs, Calhoun glared daggers into him. "You don't have a say in this, dearie. I can go into your coderoom and recode every one of your soldiers and _you _to serve_ me_." Turbo straightened up, flicking Calhoun a devious sidelong glance. "I'd have my own army and no one could stand in my way!"

Calhoun's blood boiled at every word from Turbo's mouth. She suspected he had plans for arcade domination, and taking over an entire arcade would be like controlling dozens upon dozens of universes. The possibilities were endless!

As a soldier, it was engrained in her code to protect worlds. But as a wife and friend, she found an even deeper need to protect the ones she loved and at that moment the one thing motivating her was stopping this lunatic from hurting her family. It coursed through her body into her limbs; she couldn't contain it any longer.

With Turbo's back to her, Calhoun jutting out her bounded ankles, connecting with Turbo and sending him crashing into the opposite wall. Quickly, she tucked her bound wrists under her legs, bringing them in front of her and pouncing at her captor with a ravenous roar.

She didn't obtain her target. A swift hand grabbed her ankle, and she slammed face first onto the concrete floor. Calhoun rolled onto her side, growling in anger. A warm trickle flowed onto her lip and she knew her nose was now busted. If they made it out of there alive, Felix would have a heck of a job having to fix her injuries.

Calhoun cried out as she was yanked upwards onto her knees by her hair. Fisher didn't let go and it felt as if the back of her head would rip off. Turbo was on his feet, brushing himself off meticulously then coolly strolled over to her. She watched him through long bangs that stuck to her face, mingling with the blood running from her nose.

Turbo pressed the tip of his cane into her throat, digging it almost to the point of crushing her windpipe. He leaned in, glaring coldly into her eyes. She didn't back down, staring deadly back at him.

"On second thought," Turbo exhorted, twisting the cane's tip, making her skin burn, "I may just kill you too."

He pulled his cane back, swung, and all went black.


	5. Chapter 5

"Vanellope, why are we here?" Ralph asked as his friend punched in the combination to enter the coderoom. The door whirled and slid open.

"Because-" Vanellope whipped around, throwing her arms out dramatically, "If Turbo planted a regeneration code, it's bound to be in Sugar Rush!"

A moan escaped Felix's throat, drawing their attention to him. "How could I be so ignorant?" He rubbed the heels of his gloved hands over his eyes. The answer to saving Tamora was there the whole time. Turbo had even unwittingly given it away!

Ralph laid a huge hand on Felix's back. "What's wrong, buddy?"

Felix finally uncovered his eyes, but couldn't meet their gazes. His cheeks burned red, almost livid, and this time it wasn't from his usual honeyglows. "I was so upset and worried about Tammy that I missed the mark all along. Turbo flat out confessed that he had programmed a regeneration code in Sugar Rush." Felix whirled around, slamming the sides of his closed fist against the metallic walls.

His friends stared, wide-eyed and concerned, at him. It was one thing for Felix to raise a huff in the fungeon. Really, the whole spill was comical after the fact. But this was totally different. Ralph knew his friend's heart was bleeding over this, and seeing him so upset was actually scaring him. This time he wasn't just overreacting.

Vanellope stepped forward, laying her small hand on his arm. "Felix-" she started, her voice tiny but filled with hope, "it's okay." Felix slowly pushed himself from the wall to look at her. "You're worried about Sarge and that's understandable. We're here to help."

A tear rolled down Felix's cheek as he encircled Vanellope in a hug. "Thanks, Nelly."

Vanellope pulled away after a moment, smiling. "Now let's go find that overinflated head's code and deactivate him."

Ralph had protested Vanellope swimming into the code abyss, but she rolled her eyes and tied the cord to her waist. "As long as you don't let go, I'll be fine, stinkbrain. You're such a mother hen sometimes," she muttered before jumping into the blackness.

Ralph kept his eyes on her as she swam into the jumble of blue code, searching every piece for a sign of Turbo. His attention was distracted by a loud sigh beside him. "It'll be okay, buddy," Ralph reassured again, glancing at his friend whose shoulders were slumped in defeat.

"Thanks, Ralph," Felix replied, leaning against the metal wall, arms folded across his chest. He shook his head, resolve in his voice. "I wasn't going to sell you and Vanellope out. Truly, brother, I wasn't. I'd never do that to you or that darling little girl."

Ralph let off a little more slack on the cord. "I know." He trusted Felix. Even before the infamous game jumping episode, he had trusted Felix as the hero of their game. That's one thing that hurt so badly when he found the Nicelanders anniversary party that he hadn't been invited to. He thought out of any of them, at least Felix would have invited him.

But things were different now. The trust that was temporarily severed was restored tenfold. They weren't just colleagues anymore; they were best friends; brothers in arms.

"I needed more time to figure out what to do," Felix went on, raising his bowed head to meet Ralph's gaze. "Getting you and Vanellope to go with me was all I could think to do at the moment. I kept racking my brain for ways to save Tammy, and keep you and Vanellope safe. It was like my gears were jammed from all the worry. I can't believe I didn't think of retrieving the code."

"Don't beat yourself up, Felix."

"Ralph," he stared at his friend with round, pleading eyes, and Ralph saw the depth of Felix's desperation. "can you forgive me, brother?"

Ralph shrugged an oversized shoulder. "There's nothing to forgive, buddy. I get it. I may not have a wife, but I have Vanellope and when a loved one's life is in danger, you'll do just about anything to save them."

"Including sacrificing your own life-" Felix said softly, the unspoken action of Ralph willing to die for Vanellope's sake when Sugar Rush was being overrun by cy-bugs.

Ralph nodded slightly. "Yeah." He peered into darkness to see the tiny figure of Vanellope floating back towards them with a glowing blue box under one arm. "Looks like the kid found something." Ralph smiled encouragingly down at his friend. "We're gonna stop Turbo and rescue the Sarge."


	6. Chapter 6

_Writer's note: Just wanted to say thank you for anyone who is reading this fic, especially those who have reviewed! I hope it is being enjoyed by others as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Sadly, it'll be coming to an end soon…._

* * *

><p>Fix-it would be back any minute. Turbo could taste the sweet revenge; it dripped onto his tongue like a delicious root beer after a long day of racing, satisfying. And once his hated foes were out of the way, his plan to overthrow the entire arcade could begin.<p>

Thinking of Road Blasters still burned him to the core. His glory had been stripped away with just the flicker of a new screen, and led to the creation of King Candy, a persona he tolerated for the sake of being in the spotlight again. He was in control of Sugar Rush, an iron fisted hand disguised in likeable flamboyance and false sincerity.

Now he didn't need that silly façade to accomplish his goal. Soon he would have an army behind him. No street fighter or blue hedgehog or 8-bit wrecker would stand in his way!

Turbo peered down at the unconscious figure of Sergeant Calhoun lying in a heap on the concrete floor. Fix-it Felix, Jr. was always a thorn in his side. The handyman had popularity all throughout the arcade from the moment the silly magic hammer game was plugged in. Anyone who shared the spotlight with Turbo was considered a threat, and Fix-it Felix had always been just that.

Somehow the little southern weasel scored a beautiful, high definition wife. Turbo was never one for relationships. A fling here and there was really all he ever had; then being stuck in Sugar Rush for all those years made it impossible to get any physical action. Not that it matter too much. His reign was more important; power was his mistress.

He slid the tip of his cane under Calhoun's bangs, lifting the locks just enough to view her HD features. It'd be icing on the birthday cake if he reprogrammed her to be his wife just to stick it to Fix-it - if he was patient enough to let the handyman live for that long.

Turbo hmphed in frustration, patience beginning to wear thin waiting for Fix-it to return with his ultimate prize. He turned to leave the room when a tremor ran from head to toe through his body and red flashed behind his eyes. He halted, shocked to realize he had just glitched. Another wave like electric shock coursed through him, and there was a tugging that felt as if his back was being ripped out through his chest.

Turbo collapsed to one knee, holding his forehead and supporting the rest of his weight on his cane. As the painful tugging ceased, he realized what had just happened; his code was being tampered with! Rage boiled in him. He growled, stamping the cane loudly on the concrete floor as he leaned on it to stand.

"Fisher!" he yelled, and in no time the former marine appeared, standing erect and awaiting orders. "Somethings not right. Go find Fix-it and bring him here!" Fisher saluted and hurried off with a purposeful jog to the stairwell.

Turbo glanced over his shoulder at Calhoun's still body, that evil yellow grin spreading across his face as a red glimmer pixalated him. "The little creep needs to be taught a lesson." He snickered under his breath as he advanced on Calhoun. "Turbo-tastic."

* * *

><p>"How are we gonna get past Surge?" Vanellope asked, making their way to the entrance of Sugar Rush.<p>

Ralph groaned, slapping his forehead. "Forgot about that dweeb. He'll stop us faster than Sonic snatching rings."

"We could do a switcheroo," Felix suggested quietly. Thankfully, Vanellope had thought of concealing the code cube in a red licorice-laced pouch she had. "Ralph can hold the bag when we're passing through, but slip it to me after the alarm goes off. Surge wouldn't suspect a thing."

Ralph folded stubborn arms over his chest. It was no secret that Surge _always _stopped him, but let Felix pass without the flicker of a blue eye. "Okay," Ralph agreed after a long moment.

On cue, the alarm blared as they passed through. As smooth as they could, Felix reached an arm behind Ralph's gigantic leg and swiped the pouch hidden inside the large man's curled fingers.

"Step aside, sir," the Surge Protector addressed, and Ralph threw his hands in the air, mocking his usual spill he did with the Game Central Station cop.

Surge waved Felix on without even glancing his way. Vanellope stayed behind with Ralph playing up their little act.

Felix felt a brief moment of relief, realizing he'd have to wait for his friends to be set free from the Surge before they could pass through Fix-it Felix, Jr.'s entrance to play the show all over again.

Felix dragged his feet, pressing the pouch close to his side, trying his best not to bound ahead in his anxiety to get back to Tammy. He did a quick gander around the station, and came up short when his eyes fell on Fisher and Wactor waiting ominously by his game's plug in. As soon as they spotted him, the former soldiers began marching towards the handyman, their faces skewed into hard scowls.

Felix pivoted on his heel, trying desperately not to make one big hop back to Ralph. He glanced over his shoulder, and found the soldiers still in hot pursuit as they shouldered their way through the crowd.

"Felix!" he heard Ralph call. Looking back in front of him, he found his friend approaching. "What's wrong?"

"The two soldiers from Tammy's game are after me," he whispered in a hissed voice so passer byers wouldn't hear. "I don't think this was supposed to happen. Something's wrong. I need to get to Tammy."

Ralph pushed Vanellope behind him. "Stay out of the way, kid." He cracked his knuckles, determinedly. "Get to your wife, Felix. I'll take care of these two lug nuts." He pushed past his friend, a huge toothy grin on his face as he approached the two henchmen. "Hey guys! What's happenin'?"

Fisher and Wactor gave the wrecker sour looks, and faster than a cy-bug attack, Fisher found himself crumpling to the floor as Ralph's giant fist plowed into his face.

Felix scurried off, dodging and hopping over characters; one hand on his hat, the other clutching the pouch under his arm. He ignored the blaring alarm as he crossed his game's entrance; too fast for the Surge Protector to catch him. He bounded down the train tracks, coming out the other end in no time.

He paused at the bottom of the Niceland Apartments, hoping no citizens were out and about at the moment. His heart was in the pit of his stomach as he stepped into the stairwell that would lead him to the basement floor of the building. He hoped their plan worked. If not, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.


	7. Chapter 7

_This is not the time for foreplay_, Calhoun mused through the throbbing headache as she came into consciousness. The incessant suckling and nipping on her neck was only making her stomach turn. She tried to move her limbs to push Felix away, but her arms would not budge. Calhoun's eyes shot open as realization hit her. She was not in her bedroom, and that was not Felix.

With a growl, she tossed her shoulder, sending her assailant scrambling away. Her breathing was hard as she threw a death glare at Turbo. "Keep your filthy chew hole off, slim bucket."

"You'll be begging for that and more when I'm through with you," Turbo warned. He got to his feet again, brandishing his cane at her as if he'd shrike her.

Calhoun didn't flinch on his approach. She'd take every senseless blow proudly, never revealing an ounce of weakness. Her glare was as sharp as a double-edged sword as Turbo reared his arm back…

"Turbo!" a small but strong voice called out. Calhoun craned her neck to peer around Turbo's legs, laying eyes on her husband. Fix-it shadowed the doorway, standing boldly with fists clinched at his sides. Her husband was always a determined fellow, but Calhoun had never seen such dauntless conviction on his usual cherubic-cheeked face.

A wide, devious grin curved Turbo's mouth as he swiveled around. "Welcome back, Fix-it."

"Get away from my wife," Felix demanded, impressing Calhoun with his moxie.

"What have you been up to, Fix-it?" Turbo asked wickedly, glitching a shimmer of red. "I can assure you, I've been taking good care of your soldier girl."

Felix's searching eyes caught sight of the red scratches and ugly purplish mark on Calhoun's neck. "Tammy?" A quiver accompanied her name, and Calhoun answered before Felix lost his gumption.

"I'm okay, Felix." Even if she were half dead, her answer would be the same. He held her gaze a moment longer then with a nervous nibble of his bottom lip, Felix tipped his hat to her. There it was. The signal they had come up with if Felix needed to communicate with her silently when they were in a bind. He had a plan, and all Calhoun could do was wait to see when her part would be played.

* * *

><p>Turbo advanced upon the handyman, cane tapping the concrete menacingly. "What have you done to my code, and where is Wreck-it and the abomination?"<p>

"They're safe." Felix silently hoped they were. To his knowledge, Ralph and Vanellope were safe in GCS. With that many characters witnessing the incident, there was no way the rogue Hero's Duty soldiers would get their dirty work done. "I'm giving you one chance, Turbo."

"Chance?" Turbo giggled manically and the sound could create nightmares alongside his vivid yellow teeth and spooky eyes. "For what? To repent and become like you: a goody-two-shoes hammering hick?"

Felix breathed in deep. He and Ralph had quickly discussed what to do, and it was with a heavy heart that they knew they couldn't simply crush Turbo's code without at least giving him a chance to surrender. Though they knew Turbo wouldn't afford the same mercy they would towards him, it was the right thing to do. Heroes had to make the tough decisions, and this was possibly the toughest one Felix had ever had to make.

"If you surrender, you'll live but be banished beyond the Game Central Station." Every character knew what would happen if they crossed the line of endangering the livelihood of other games. It was an unwritten rule from the beginning of Litwak's arcade.

"Or you'll do what?" Turbo taunted.

"This." Felix stuck his hand in the pouch, pulling out the glowing blue cube which carried Turbo's code.

Turbo's forehead furrowed forming an angry scowl on his face, and he hissed, "My code." He stamped closer to Felix, but the handyman stood his ground, the cube tightly gripped in his blocky fingers. "You ripped my code out and brought it here!"

"No different than you trying to delete Vanellope's code," Felix threw back.

At the mention of the little president's name, Turbo roared and leapt at Felix, knocking him to the floor. His hat flew off from the impact and the cube was thrown from his hand; rolling away and bumping the wall. Turbo whipped his cane around, slamming it right at Felix's head. The handyman yelped, dodging the object by a fraction.

Felix grabbed hold of Turbo's wrists, immobilizing the dangerous swings. Turbo snarled above him, wrestling furiously to tear into the other 8-bit man. Felix wasn't a fighter. There was no reason to ever be. But when your best friend is a giant that wrecks stuff and your wife is a steel-toed space marine, you pick up on ways to defend yourself. Felix maneuvered his boot between him and his attacker, pushing with his powerful hop ability to throw Turbo off him.

Felix scrambled after the blue cube, his finger just touching it when a hand clamped down on his ankle. He was yanked and dragged backwards on his stomach as he grasped vainly at the concrete floor, anything to get away.

For a split second that felt more like an eternity, he caught sight of Tamora trying desperately to break free from her bonds. Catching her eye for that nanosecond fueled him to think fast. Felix nabbed his golden hammer, brandishing it at Turbo.

The former racer scoffed, "You think you can stop me with your silly little magic hammer? You must be stupider than I thought, Fix-it! It only fixes things!"

"This side fixes things," Felix agreed about the hammerhead, then he flipped the hammer around holding it claw-side now, "But this side doesn't." He swung the claw, connecting with Turbo's shoulder. Turbo howled, rearing back and in the process, knocking Felix's hammer from his hand.

Felix rushed to the cube again, finally grabbing hold of it. He yelped when he felt Turbo's weight on him; the relentless psycho being impossible to stop for even a moment! "Tammy!" Felix yelled, tossing the cube to land close to his wife's feet.

A crunch sounded through the room, and Turbo suddenly halted, a look of pure surprise and fear on his face. He collapsed atop Felix, motionless.

Felix was trembling from head to toe as he lay still under the weight of Turbo. He didn't move until he heard Tamora calling his name. With a hoarse cry, he pushed Turbo off and hopped to his feet. He rushed to his wife's side, retrieving his hammer along the way.

"Are you okay, Tammy?" he asked, immediately going to saw the rope apart that held her wrists.

"If I hear you ask me that one more time, Fix-it," Tamora grumbled, sitting up, rolling her shoulders to work out the aching kinks. Felix moved to her ankles and in no time, she was completely free.

Felix nearly bowled her over as he threw his arms around her neck, hammer clattering to the floor, the 'clink' echoing off the walls. He nestled his face into the crook of her neck, his relief proving in the form of a sigh against her skin. "I love you, Tamora Jean," he whispered with such reverence.

Tamora's rigid form fell away and she enveloped Felix, ignoring the aches and hurts throughout her body. "Love you too, Fix-it," she murmured into his hair as her fingers ran through the strains, soothingly.

"I was so worried about you, I couldn't think straight for a time," he admitted, snuggling closer, reveling in the fact that his wife was safe now in his embrace.

"You did good, soldier." Tamora pulled back just enough to lean their foreheads together. "I knew you'd pull through." With that, she pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss that spoke of her own relief that the horrible experience was finally over. They parted a moment later, and Felix focused on the bruising red marks on her neck.

"What did he do to you?" he asked with a shake in his voice. His thumb hovered above the mark, wanting to touch but not daring to.

Tamora groaned in disgust. "Psycho racer marked me for his own sick pleasure." She shivered at the phantom feel of Turbo's mouth and teeth on her skin. "Tap me with your hammer before I hurl from the thought."

Felix nodded, hopping up to retrieve his golden hammer where he abandoned it. He tapped her neck gently, and the mark disappeared with a clink. Tamora wriggled a little, taking a deep breath. A steaming hot shower wouldn't even make her feel less dirty, but right that they had more important things to worry about.

"While you're at it," Tamora added, "tap my heels, so I can walk out of here without looking like a cy-bug nibbled on me."

Felix got to work on fixing her cracked, bruised heels. She'd smashed the code cube with such force, making sure Turbo would be incapacitated for good. Felix sheathed the hammer in his belt loop, and hastened to help her to her now healed feet. "We should get back to Game Central Station to tell the others what happened," he said sadly, grasped her hand and gently pulling Tamora along.

She glanced at the still figure of Turbo crumpled on the floor as they passed, hissing without remorse, "Told you I'd destroy you, you cracked-brained lunatic."

* * *

><p><em>I can't believe this fic is almost over! I don't want it to be over, but it's a great feeling to finish a fic! This chapter I played out most in my head trying to think of how I wanted it to go. My original idea was having Ralph waiting in the wings ready to crush Turbo's code if he didn't surrender, but it didn't feel right and I wanted the showdown to be with just Felix, Cal, and Turbo. It seemed to have worked out all right. <em>


End file.
